To Transfer or Not to Transfer (High School Student Dilemma)

College Search & Selection Community Colleges
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Hello everyone!

I am an 11th grade high school student enrolled at an independent studies alternative school. This has allowed me to take full time community college classes, and I am nearing being able to transfer as an Econ major.
So should I still apply for freshman admissions? Obviously transferring would save me time and money, but I’m still not 100% sure about majoring in Economics. Sometimes I lean towards wanting to study a STEM field (so broad, I know…).

Additionally, I keep being warned against missing out on that 4 year “college experience.” I’m really involved though in the community college: in several clubs, executive member on the Student Senate, etc.
Transferring would also alleviate all my stress about the SAT, etc! Plus there’s TAGS (admission guarantee).
So… transferring questions.

1.) Do you miss out a lot socially as a transfer? Shallower friendships because they were built in half the time?
2.) Networking and internships: more difficult to find, less connections with campus (clubs, professors, etc)?
3.) Getting stuck in a major
4.) Overall, as a transfer student what would you have chosen to do in my situation?

Thank you for all of your input. This is really an issue that’s been bothering me. I am really grateful for having had the opportunity to study at my community college!

2

Also, as a transfer I would mostly be limited to state schools (UCs), because transferring into a private school (or, gasp, Ivy!) is so much harder. As a freshman I would apply to several private universities, including Ivies. :slight_smile:

3

First, you will have to research whether the schools you wish to attend will consider you a freshman. Some will not if you have earned more than a certain number of credits. Those schools will label you a transfer regardless of what you wish to be. UCs also have a lot of specific requirement so you will need to look into those. (There are people on here who know a lot more about that than I do - maybe one of them will chime in. There is also a forum on this website specifically for UC transfers).

Second, there really is not a difference between entering college as an 18-year-old as a “freshman” or a “transfer.” You can live in a dorm, experience typical college life, etc. You may be able to take some upper level classes that your fellow freshmen cannot, but that is really not a big deal. Moreover, if you want to change your major or spend more than two years at the college you are free to do so.